2. The End of the World

Series 1 - 2005

Writer: Russell T. Davies
Produced By: Phil Collinson
Director: Euros Lyn

What are you going to do? Moisturise me?

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Rose into the far future; 5,000,000,000 years into the future to the day that Earth finally died. The Earth, now devoid of human life, had been managed by a trust, but due to funding problems, the trust finally let Earth die.

A space station is orbiting Earth, and a number of other people have gathered to watch the end, including Moxx of the Balhoon, the Face of Boe, Jabe of the trees, and Cassandra, the last human, who has had so much cosmetic surgery that all is left if a piece of skin that has to be continally moisturised.

Each species visitng the station brings gifts, including cuttings from a family relative, spit. One of the gifts, or which there are plenty, contains a small robotic spider; these spiders eventually escape and start affecting the stations systems.

People start dying due to the spiders. The Doctor, with Jabe's help, catches one of the spiders, and programs it to return to its master (or mistress); the spider returns to Cassandra.

Cassandra plans to blackmail various species for the return of people on the station to fund her lifestyle. She escapes before the stations shields fail, which the Doctor manages to prevent. The Doctor reverses Cassandra's teleportation beam, returning her to the station.

With no one to moisturise her, and with the temparature having risen substantially, the Doctor and everyone else watches as her skin dries out and tightens and finally her body explodes.

Regular Cast

  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper

Guest Cast

  • Jabe: Yasmin Bannerman
  • Cassandra: Zoe Wanamaker
  • Steward: Simon Day
  • Moxx of Balhoon: Jimmy Vee
  • Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri
  • Raffalo: Beccy Armory
  • Computer Voice: Sara Stewart
  • Alien Voices: Silas Carson
Uncredited:
  • Blue Staff: Chris Chapman, Ross Marshall, Stephen Boyd, Wesley Maddocks, Scott Hurley, Elliot Blackner, Jack Palmer, Jack Thomas, Adam Smith, David Pursey, Owen Roberts, Steffan Stone, Alex Francis, James Price, Billy McCleary, Matthew Rawcliff, Jake Rees, Thomas Drewson, Dan Allen, Ryan Conway, Darius Huntley, Elliot Truman, Carlton Venn
  • Lute/Coffa: Paul Kasey, Alan Ruscoe
  • Adherents of the Repeated Meme: Michael Humphries, Paul Newbolt, Saul Murphy, Dean Cummins, Jason Jones
  • Ambassadors/Brothers Hop Pyleen/Cal 'Spark Plug' MacNannovich/Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo/Class fifty five scholars: Toby Hunt, Jamie Jones, Trey Taylor, Josh Kingston, Ioan Mansaray, Alex Yell, Matthew Hill, Giles Hibbard, Greg Mothersdale, Keith Newell, Matthew Gilbert, Adam Moore
  • Surgeons: Von Pearce, John Collins
  • Stand in for Cassanda (not in finished programme): Clare Cage
  • Stunt double for Adherents/Hand double for the Doctor: Jamie Edgell
  • Stunt arm double for Jabe: Sarah Frenzl
  • Office worker passerby: Pam Kane, Jeff Paigne
  • Big Issue seller: John Griffith-Evans
  • Mother: Julie Sydenham
  • Daughter: Daisy Sydenham
  • Stand in for the Dotor (not in finished programme): Carl Edwards Ackerman
  • Stand in for Rose (not in finished programme): Lucy Lutman
  • Additional dialogue recording: Nicholas Lupton, Jane Hunt, Stephen Bracken-Keogh, Wendi Sheard, Paul Ganney, Emma Feeny, Nick Cater, Hannah Welch
  • Additional roles: James Cooke, Saul Baum

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 2. The End Of The World Saturday, 2 April 2005 19:00 - 19:45 8.0M

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Unit Q2, Newport

Outside Locations

  • BBC Broadcasting House, Llandaff, Cardiff
  • Headlands School, St. Augustine's Road, Penarth
  • Helmont House, Churchill Way, Cardiff
  • Queen Street, Cardiff
  • Temple of Peace, College Road, Cardiff